Olympic rights hat-trick for Seven Network Australia

Australia’s Seven Network has acquired the broadcast rights to the next three Olympic Games, with an option to include the 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2024 summer games.

The deal, reported to be valued at A$200 million, covers free-to-air TV, subscription TV, online and HbbTV digital coverage and radio rights for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. It also incorporates an agreement to air this summer’s Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

Tim Worner, CEO, Seven West Media, said that Seven will “create and deliver the most comprehensive, technologically advanced, multiplatform coverage of the Olympic Games to all Australians on any communications device”.

“Everyone knows the media landscape is changing at breakneck speed and the way our coverage of these events is produced and distributed across all platforms to all Australians will be revolutionised in the lifetime of this deal,” he added.

“And, if Seven is granted broadcast rights following the exercise of the option for the Games in 2022 and 2024, it will become the longest agreement in Australian Olympic history.” 

The Seven Network has broadcast all but three Summer Olympic Games since the Melbourne Games in 1956.